On Night Two of the Republican National Convention, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson gave praise to God for sparing the life of former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump.
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Like many of you last week, I watched with horror as the events unfolded in that Pennsylvania field. I watched President Trump, a dear friend, escape death by mere inches. And my thoughts immediately turned to the Book of Isaiah, that says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Just as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott brought the Spirit, Carson, in his softer, more academic style of speaking, preached, prophesied, and proclaimed truth.
Let me tell you the weapons that they used. First, they tried to ruin his reputation — and he’s more popular now than ever. Then, they tried to bankrupt him, and he’s got more money now than he had before. And then they tried to put him in prison and he’s freer and has made other people free with him. Then last weekend they tried to kill him, and there he is alive and well!
The audience erupted with much applause, cheers, and laughter. Carson continued.
You know, I have no doubt that God lowered a shield of protection over President Trump. And I join millions of Americans in thanksgiving for President Trump’s safety. And I encourage you to join me in praying each day for his continued protection.
Carson’s compassionate heart led him to speak of the life lost on Saturday and he encouraged prayers for the family as well. Much like the gifted teacher that he is, Carson expressed the unease we all are feeling over a world that appears to be slipping away.
Our hearts, our hearts go out to the victims in the audience; let’s also pray for them and their families. You know, these events have brought unusual clarity to the times we are living in. We have all harbored the nagging feeling that everything we love is slipping away. All you have to do is turn on the television. The free press, a pillar of any free society, has abused the public trust and resorted to lies, deception, and disinformation. They divide us along lines of race, class, and gender, rather than uniting us around our shared bond as Americans. Our government has been no better, shredding our constitution and upending the rule of law. We have a wide-open border, a broken education system, and chaos breaking out around the world. And to top it off, we have a president who… well, if you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.
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Carson once again elicited laughter from the audience, then turned the corner.
But ask anyone around the world, “What does it mean to be an American?” Most will tell you that it means unlimited opportunity. That where you begin in life doesn’t dictate where you will end. That’s the America I grew up in, and no other country could a poor, inner city kid raised by a single mom make it to an Ivy League school, then to medical school, become a successful neurosurgeon, run for president, and eventually become a member of the president’s cabinet.
Carson is not wrong. One of the reasons he is so despised is that, like Scott, he disproved the victimhood mentality and cries of systemic racism fostered by the left. Carson praised Donald Trump and reflected on a man and a nature that most people do not know because the legacy media has created a caricature.
You know what, as a member of his cabinet, I got a chance to work closely with him. And I gotta tell you, this is a man who is a gift to us as a nation. He is very gifted, he is very smart, he is very compassionate, he cares about people. And I tell you, the first time I met him it was before either of us got into the political arena. We were at Mar-a-Lago and someone came up to him and said, “Mr. Trump, Rod Stewart just walked in.” And he said, “I don’t care, this is Ben Carson!”
Carson expressed gratitude for his opportunity to live the American dream, and lamented that the goalposts were being moved for others in achieving it.
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My story is moving further out of reach in America today. The lessons my mother taught me: like hard work, and the value of well-rounded, patriot education, and faith in God above all else, are being forced out of the public square.
Carson moved away from lament and back into the hope of those participating in the focused assembly. He encouraged them to not fear. That God had given us the power.
But we’re all here today because we know we can bring these things back! By God’s grace, we live in a country where the people rule. We have the power to choose the kind of nation we will be and the kind of men and women that will lead us. And today, the choice could not be more clear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is this: do not be afraid, or fear not. It appears 365 times in scripture. A reminder to live each day with faith, hope, and joy, as joyful warriors of Christ. And when God is with us, nobody can stand against us. With this assurance from the Almighty, even the face of evil itself cannot shake our resolve. We will keep fighting, we will keep praying, and by the grace of God we will save our country and re-elect President Trump, together with Vice President Vance, this November.
Carson ended his speech with the story of French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, who came to America to study the grand experiment of this new nation and wrote a two-volume set of books, “Democracy in America,” based on his experiences.
Carson concluded with de Tocqueville’s words.
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“America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
It is our job to make America good and let’s do this by re-electing President Trump so we can make America great!